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Program

Social Studies Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction (SSACI)

Social Studies Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction

The Social Studies Assessment, Curriculum and Instruction (SSACI) SCASS supports state education agencies and social studies teachers with research, resources, and strategies to support best practice in assessment, curriculum, and instruction to help ensure that all students are prepared for active citizenship, college and career readiness, and lifelong learning in a culturally diverse, interdependent world. This collaboration allows state education agencies to draw from a greater pool of experience not easily available when a state confronts the same challenge alone. States work together to examine the current needs and issues surrounding the area(s) of focus, determining the products and goals of the project, summarize recent research, analyze best practices, examine technical issues, and/or provide guidance on federal legislation.

SSACI is currently working on three major efforts, (1) creating guidelines to develop state standards for social studies in collaboration with the National Council for Social Studies and 14 other content organizations, (2) developing tools to support high-quality assessments and instruction,: (SSACI has created an item bank of over 1,000 items in civics, history, economics, and geography content that can be used to develop rigorous standards based assessments as well as professional development modules for designing and implementing standards based units of study.), and (3) conducting professional development workshops, supported by Library of Congress grants, which focus on using primary sources and creating 21st century social studies learning opportunities.

SSACI Collaborative Advisor: Dr. Kathy Swan

Dr. Kathy Swan is an Associate Professor of social studies education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Kentucky. Since joining the faculty in 2004, she has been a four-time recipient of the National Technology Leadership Award in Social Studies Education. Swan innovates with web-based interactive technology curriculum including the Historical Scene Investigation Project, the Digital Directors Guild, Digital Docs in a Box and Econocast. Her research has appeared in the International Journal of Social Education, and the Journal of Research on Technology in Education and has been supported by grants from Library of Congress, the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation and the Teach American History program. She also serves as the co-editor for the Social Studies section of the Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education Journal.

Current Members of SSACI:

  1. Arkansas
  2. Colorado
  3. Georgia
  4. Hawaii
  5. Illinois
  6. Indiana
  7. Kansas
  8. Kentucky
  9. Maine
  10. Maryland
  11. Michigan
  12. Missouri
  13. Nebraska
  14. North Carolina
  15. Ohio
  16. Oklahoma
  17. Tennessee
  18. West Virginia
  19. Wisconsin
  20. Wyoming
  21. Los Angeles County (Affiliate member)
  22. University of Delaware (Affiliate Member)

Professional organizations working with SSACI:

  1. American Association of Geographers
  2. American Bar Association
  3. American Historical Association
  4. Center for Civic Education
  5. Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
  6. Constitutional Rights Foundation/USA
  7. Constitutional Rights Foundation/Chicago
  8. Council for Economic Education
  9. National Council for Geographic Education
  10. National Council for History Education
  11. National Council for the Social Studies
  12. National Geographic Society
  13. National History Day
  14. Street Law, Inc.
  15. World History Association

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